Firefighters were called to the blast, which was "well alight" when they arrived, at 11.51am. Shocking pictures taken by eyewitnesses show thick black smoke billowing out of the building, which is believed to belong to a company called Commercial Vehicle Repairs.Other images show bright orange flames coming from the roof of the car body shop which is on the Rotherwas Industrial Estate in Hereford. Eyewitnesses reported seeing gas bottles exploding as the raging inferno took hold of the factory building.
Joe Rollinson, 32, who works nearby, said: "I was just making a delivery when I heard a massive explosion followed by a lot of commotion on the estate.